Shade roller and bracket assemblies



P 1961 B. MCCULLOUCH 2,999,664

SHADE ROLLER AND BRACKET ASSEMBLIES Filed Feb. 21, 1958 INVENTOR.

Erysan M a/flock. BY

W 5 xwmwfim www United States Patent 2,999,664 SHADE ROLLER AND BRACKET ASSEMBLIES Bryson McCulloch, 319 S. Charles St., Saginaw, Mich. Filed Feb. 21, 1958, Ser. No. 716,630 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-267) This invention relates to shade roller and bracket assemblies and certain novel and highly useful improvements therein.

Shade roller and bracket assemblies conventionally incorporate brackets and pintles formed of metal which are ofttimes quite noisy in operation, due to the metal to metal contact of the parts and further wear rapidly and often unevenly. Also due to the sometimes Sloppy and inaccurate mounting of the brackets by unskilled persons, excessive endwise chucking of the roller in the brackets frequently occurs when the roller is actuated. This excessive chucking, and the noise and undue wear created by metal to metal contact of the parts is eliminated in my new assembly which incorporates integrated nylon members in the assembly for obviating these disadvantages.

One of the prime objects of the invention is to provide, in an assembly of the character described, a pintle-bracket connection which will be virtually noiseless in use, and which will wear for long periods of time.

A further object of the invention is to provide a shade roller and bracket assembly which requires no lubrication.

Another object of the invention is to provide a practical and reliable method of coating the pintles of shade rollers.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide an assembly of the type described which is economical to manufacture and assemble.

Other advantages of the invention will become apparent and features which are considered characteristic of the invention are hereinafter described and set forth with particularity in the appended claims, it being understood that changes may be made in the form, size, proportion and details of construction, without departing from the spirit, or sacrificing any of the advantages or" the invention.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary, sectional, elevational view showing a shade roller pintle supported by a shade roller bracket.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged, perspective view of a pintle covering which has been formed independently of the pintle.

FIGURE 3 is a schematic, transverse, sectional view illustrating a method of coating the exposed end of a pintle after it has been assembled on a shade roller, 3. liquid vat and mold being shown in section.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged perspective view of a member which may be used in a bracket opening in another embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 4A is a perspective view of a window shade bracket with the member of FIGURE 4 mounted in position.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary, partly sectional, front elevational view showing a shade roller having a coated pintle mounted in a bracket having a liner provided in the bracket opening.

FIGURE 6 is a view, similar to FIGURE 5, of a slightly different embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a view illustrating nylon tubing from which sleeve members for the pintle ends may be formed.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawing, in which I have shown preferred forms of my invention, and more specifically to FIGURE 1 thereof, a letter B generally indicates a shade roller bracket of conventional design which is secured on a wall surface by screws (not shown) or the like in the conventional manner and is provided with a projecting coniform section 10 having an opening 10a adapted to rotatably receive the pintle or pin 11 of a conventional shade roller R having a shade S stapled or otherwise suitably secured thereto. For the sake of convenience, the roller R is shown only fragmentarily, but it is to be understood that a similar bracket mounts the opposite end of the roller R which has a spring biased spear in the usual manner.

In present day constructions the pintle 11 of the shade roller is usually a fairly loose fit in the bracket opening 10a and there is considerable noise and clatter when the pintle revolves in the bracket opening in which it is supported as the shade is operated. Even if the fit in the first place is fairly good, there is an uneven wear quite frequently and the roller will thereafter no longer operate in a smooth andeasy manner. I have discovered that if a nylon coating or sleeve 12 is formed on the pintle end 11, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, and this sleeve is formed of a long-wearing, self-lubricating material, the disadvantages above mentioned are obviated, since most of the noise associated with the operation of shade rollers occurs with the revolution of the pintle in the bracket. The provision of the nylon coating or sleeve member, which need not, in order to considerably decrease the sound of operation, be a snug fit in the bracket opening 10a, provides a smooth and relatively noiseless operation. Instead of metal to metal contact, as has heretofore been conventional, there is a plastic to metal engagement at the surfaces 12a and 12b which provides a much smoother operation. The nylon sleeves 12, formed preferably about ,4 of an inch in diameter, are tough and long-wearing and provide a relatively noiseless operation. Nylon is, of course, the well known superpolymeric amide sold by du Pont and in the instant case the type known as Zytel nylon is used. Du Pont F.M.l000l and F.M.300l may also be used.

In practice it has been found expedient to form the coatings on'the exposed ends of the pintles by dipping the pintles into a vat of molten nylon after the pintles have been driven into the ends of the roller. This method, which will now be described, is simple and practical, and produces a sleeve member which firmly adheres to the metal of the exposed end of the pintle. The larger rollers are much easier to handle than are a multiplicity of individual relatively small parts or pintles and it has been found that the coatings solidify or dry rapidly.

The method of coating the spindle to form the sleeve member thereon is illustrated in FIG. 3 of the drawing, where a vat or tank T of desired size is shown. This is filled with liquified nylon M, the consistency of which is controlled by the application of heat to the vat T. The nylon in the vat is maintained at a temperatures of approximately 250 C. which keeps it viscous enough so that a coating 12 forms if the pintle is simply dipped in and quickly withdrawn.

An elongated. strip 13 spans the end walls 14 of the tank T and has formed therein a plurality or gang of horizontally spaced, annular mold sections 15 which will accommodate the projecting end of a conventional pintle 11 which has been driven into the end of the shade roller R as usual. The collar 11a formed on the pintle ill at a point intermediate its length limits the length to which the pintle may be driven into the roller.

Each mold section 15 is cylindrical in shape and is formed with an enlarged shouldered section 16, slightly larger in diameter than the collar 11a of the pintle, and a depending portion 17, also slightly larger in diameter than the annular pintle, to guide the insertion and roughly govern the thickness desired. It will be noted that the section 16 is of sufficient length so that a space is provided between the collar 11a and section 15.

The mold 15 has an opening 13 in the bottom wall there- 3 of to admit and permit free nylon material M therein.

In practice, the operator grasps each roller and inserts the projecting end of its pintle 11 into one of the mold sections so that the liquified material contacts and coats the entire exposed surface of the pintle and collar, after which it is withdrawn and preferably, but not necessarily, hung endwise to dry. The drying is very rapid, and large numbers of roller pintles can be coated in a minimum length of time and at very little cost. The nylon coating when solidified at room temperature firmly adheres to the metal surface and does not become loose when subjected to long wear.

circulation of the liqnified are formed from the nylon tubing 24 shown in FIGURE 7, which is cut oil in sections as at a. If a heated frusto-conical tool is thrust into the one end of each section the material is displaced to form the flared portion (FIGURE 6), which functions to form a bearing surface for the rolled end 22 of liner 21.

In making the shade roller, the pintle 11 is driven into the one end of the roller and the nylon sleeve is then either formed thereon or forced thereover. Then the shade .S is stapled to the roller as at 26 in the usual manner.

The opposite end of the roller is provided with a standard spear assembly including a standard bracket In accordance with another aspect of the invention 9 shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, I provide a pintle sleeve 19 which differs in that it is molded to predetermined size rather than being formed by dipping. A shoulder 21) is formed on the sleeve 19 and the bore of the sleeve is of a diameter to snugly accommodate the exposed end of the pintle. Such members 19 can be readily molded and friction fitted on the ends of the pintles to serve in the same manner as do those above described, and will accordingly rotate with the pintle.

To provide a completely noiseless operation in the I pintle-bracket mounting a further embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIGURES 4, 4A, and 5 may be used which incorporates a nylon liner 21 mounted within the enlarged bracket opening 10a to receive the nylon coated pintle. having a rolled end 22 and is of such external diameter otherwise as to a press fit in opening 10a. Thus it will be stationary in opening 10:: and end 22 prevents it from The liner 21 is shown in FIGURE 4 as being pushed further into said opening. The bore 23 of liner 21, which will also be preferably %4 of an inch in thickness, rotatably accommodates the coated end of the pintle 11 and the contact is, of course, nylon to nylon instead of metal to metal. Should chucking occur when the roller is operated, the collar 12a will engage the rolled end 22 of the liner 21 and again there will be no metal to metal contact of the bracket and pintle. This construction provides a sound-proof, self-lubricating and long wearing rotary roller mounting which is greatly superior to present day practice. 7

In FIGURE 6 a still further embodiment of the invention is illustrated in which the sleeves for the pintle ends which supports this end of the roller, and inasmuch as these parts are all of conventional design, it is not deemed necessary to describe them in detail. 7

It is to be understood that various changes may be made in the various parts within the scope of the ap pended claims to accomplish the same results.

What I claim is:

l. A shade roller and bracket assembly comprising; a bracket for attachment to a support having a projecting portion with an opening therein; a roller having a supporting pintle extending from one end thereof received by said opening; and a nylon sleeve conforming to the shape of and fast on said pintle extending into said opening for rotation therein.

2. The combination defined in claim 1 in which said pintle has a collar in engagement with the end of said roller and said sleeve has a shoulder fitting over and conforming to the shape of said collar. I

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 507,755 Rodecker Oct. 31, 1893 823,452 Vickery June 12, 1906 1,229,131 Perrot June 5, 1917 2,050,817 Stoughton Aug. 11, 1936 2,307,175 Wainwright Ian; 5, 1943 2,357,950 Goessling Sept. 12, 1944 2,644,199 Miller July 7, 1953 2,675,283 Thomson Apr. 13, 1954 2,689,380 Tait Sept. 21, 1954 2,724,867 Smith Nov. 29, 1955 

